The Eights

It is well known that many of the most significant moments in Czech history have happened in years that end in an eight. After having produced several self-penned works inspired by historic events, the proven authorial team of librettists Stanislav Slovák, Jan Šotkovský and Petr Štěpán, together with composer Karel Cón, decided to focus on Czech history as a whole in the jubilee year of 2018. From the time when the legendary Father Čech first brought his people to the summit of the hill known as Říp (which must have taken place in an “eight” year, of course), right up to the present day, we wander through Czech history in the company of a group of comedians. Osmyčky is a cabaret-like whimsical féerie with songs that presents Czech history from an unexpected and bitter yet cheerful perspective. The production doesn’t just cover years such as 1108, 1278, 1348, 1648, 1848, 1918, 1948 and 1968, but also the “eight” years in which seemingly nothing important happened (did you know that the Czech Tourist Club was founded in 1888?). Our guides through the history of this small nation will be two individuals that have always accompanied it, the “inverse Blaník knights” Informer and Arrester, who – as is revealed gradually – stand in the background of the majority of important events in the history of the Czech nation and do not hesitate to defend their rights even before God´s judgement. The production is directed by Stanislav Slovák.